Tuesday, May 03, 2011

The L.A. Dodgers' Andre Ethier last night made it 28 consecutive games in which he's gotten at least one hit. He is now at the halfway point to Joe DiMaggio's record 56-game hitting streak. As a more immediate and realistic target, Ethier is well within reach of the L.A. (post-Brooklyn) Dodger franchise record of 31, held by the late Willie Davis.

As can be seen on this all-time list of hitting streaks of 30 games and longer, some leading streaks of recent vintage include Jimmy Rollins, 38 (2005-2006); Luis Castillo, 35 (2002); and Chase Utley, 35 (2006). Four players in the 2000s reached 30 straight games (Albert Pujols, 2003; Willy Taveras, 2006; Moises Alou, 2007; Ryan Zimmerman, 2009).

[UPDATE, May 5: Today's Los Angeles Times features a retrospective on Willie Davis's streak and his career more generally. Meanwhile, Ethier is sitting on a 29-game hitting streak, having sat out yesterday's game due to an elbow injury. The Dodgers have a travel day today, which gives Ethier a two-day break.]